I Dyed In My Bathtub

So we've decided to decorate our bedroom in a romantic Middle Eastern eclectic decor focusing on vibrant blues and glass greens.  I ordered a comforter and shams online that we liked, but when it arrived, the color wasn't quite what we wanted. We really were looking for a vivid blue, but it felt like a dreary color even though we liked the fabric and pattern. My solution? I decided to overdye it!

Overdying is when you take a piece of fabric, clothing or other textile that instead of being white, has some kind of already existing color and/or print to it. Overdying changes the color, but you have to have an understanding about how colors mix to get the effect you're looking for.

I was worried about using my washer because of the size of the washer vs the comforter. Anytime you dye fabric, if you don't have enough room for the fabric to move around, you can end up with uneven color, and I wanted this to be right. So I decided to dye it in my bathtub.

First, I made sure the entire set was wet, I tossed it in the tub, got it all wet, and pulled it out again to prepare the dye. So my tub is fiberglass, and they warn you that dye can stain a fiberglass tub, I don't want a blue tub, but I had a plan!  I found inspiration over at The Hip Soiree and used their technique to line my bathtub with clear plastic.  My tub is bigger than theirs, so I used a tarp instead of a shower curtain, but you get the idea.

Our teenage son came home from school and out bathroom looked a bit like Dexter's kill room! Prepare to dye!

I used hot water, a cup of salt since it's a cotton comforter, and I used 2 bottles of Rit Aquamarine, which my artists eye told me would brighten up the gray-indigo color I was starting with and give me a pretty bright blue.  I added 1 cup of salt dissolved in some hot water. Since it's cotton, it's recommended to add salt to the dye bath to help set the color.

It was like stirring a gigantic cauldron. You're supposed to keep the fabric agitating the entire time so that the color comes out even, yeeeah...I did it about 1/2 the time.  My weapon of choice was the handle end of my kitchen broom since I don't own an oar. LOL

When 1/2 hour passed, I put on my rubber gloves and pushed as much excess tarp as I could down the drain, then I poked several holes into the drain with a knife, I prayed that all the dye would go down the drain and not leak under the tarp and dye my tub.

It worked perfectly! Dan and I shoved the comforter into a plastic garbage bag and shoved it into the washer. We put it on extra large load, cold water and let it go.

I was delighted with the results! I got the pretty cheery exotic blue we wanted, and my bathtub looks just as it did when we started! Now that I know the exact color of our new bedding set, I can start looking at window treatments, paint, (oh that pink and blue wallpaper's gotta go) and accessories! Excited to see this room come together!

Here's my inspiration board on Pinterest for my Bedroom Getaway Project!

Blessings,

Mickie